Echinacea plant named ‘Phoenix’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Echinacea  plant named ‘Phoenix’ characterized by medium, yellow orange ray florets, a medium upright habit, well-branched, strong stems, and good vigor.

Botanical denomination: Echinacea spp.

Variety designation: ‘Phoenix’.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Echinacea and given the cultivar name ‘Phoenix’. Echinacea is in the family Asteraceae. This new cultivar is a fourth generation seedling originating from a planned breeding program using Echinacea paradoxa as the seed parent in the original cross and Echinacea purpurea ‘Ruby Giant’ (an unpatented plant) as the pollen parent. The exact parents of this selection are unknown, unnamed, proprietary plants.

Compared to Echinacea paradoxa, an unpatented plant and one of the original parents to the breeding line, the new cultivar has a much shorter habit and a flatter inflorescence rather than strongly drooping.

Compared to Echinacea ‘Tiki Torch’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,839), the new cultivar has lighter orange flowers and a shorter habit.

Compared to Echinacea ‘Art's Pride’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,090), the new variety has lighter orange ray florets, lighter colored cones, and a shorter habit.

This new Echinacea cultivar is uniquely distinguished by:

-   -   1. medium, yellow orange ray florets,     -   2. medium upright habit,     -   3. well branched, strong stems, and     -   4. good vigor.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (division and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by division and tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques with terminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The photograph shows the inflorescences of Echinacea ‘Phoenix’ from a one and a half year old plant grown in the field in full sun in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Echinacea cultivar based on observations of 9 month-old specimens growing in the 1 gallon pots in full sun outside in Canby, Oreg. Canby is in Zone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95 degrees F. in August to an average of 32 degrees F. in January. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches per year in the trial fields in Canby, Oreg. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 5^(th) edition.

-   Plant:     -   -   Type.—Herbaceous perennial.         -   Hardiness.—USDA Zones 4 to 9.         -   Size.—Grows to about 36 cm wide and 61 cm tall to top of             inflorescences.         -   Form.—Basal clump, with 1 to 4 stems from the base.         -   Vigor.—Excellent.         -   Roots.—Fibrous, with many downward growing and few laterals,             ivory in color, Yellow White 158D, roots develop easily from             cuttings from the crown. -   Stem (flowering):     -   -   Type.—Ascending, with 3 to 11 flowers per stem.         -   Size.—To 60 cm tall to a terminal inflorescence and 12 mm             wide at base.         -   Internode length.—2 cm to 8.5 cm.         -   Surface texture.—Strigose.         -   Color.—Yellow Green 146A. -   Leaf (basal):     -   -   Type.—Simple.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate.         -   Arrangement.—Basal.         -   Blade size.—Grows to 16 cm long and 4 cm wide.         -   Margins.—Entire.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Surface texture.—Strigose on both sides.         -   Venation.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Topside Green 137A, bottom side Green 137B.         -   Petiole description.—Grows to 19 cm long and 3 mm wide,             glabrous, Yellow Green 146A. -   Leaf (stem):     -   -   Type.—Simple.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate to ovate.         -   Arrangement.—Alternate.         -   Blade size.—Grows to 13 cm long and 5 cm wide.         -   Margins.—Entire and slightly undulate.         -   Apex.—Acute to acuminate.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Surface texture.—Strigose on both sides.         -   Venation.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Topside Green 137A bottom side Green 137B.         -   Petiole description.—On lowermost leaves only, clasping,             grows to 10 cm long and 3 mm wide above the clasp, scabrous,             Yellow Green 146B. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—Composite on terminal stalked heads.         -   Number of flowering stems per plant.—Between 3 and 11.         -   Flowering stem.—Grows to 60 cm tall from the base of the             plant to the terminal inflorescence and can grow to 15 cm             long from the top stem leaf to the base of an inflorescence;             branched, with 3 to 11 inflorescences per stem; diameter             growing to 7 mm wide near the inflorescence; strigose;             Yellow Green 146C.         -   Size.—Grows to 8.5 cm wide and 4 cm deep as disc enlarges.         -   Form.—Ray florets held horizontal when young to lightly             reflexed when mature, mature disc is conic.         -   Immature inflorescence.—Grows to 3 cm wide and 1.5 cm deep,             ray florets held out at a 20 degree angle from the             horizontal and rolled up so only the back color shows,             Orange 26A, disc color Yellow Green 146A.         -   Ray florets.—Without pistil or stamen, about 25, grow to 4             mm long and 6 mm wide, oblanceolate with the tip two-toothed             (each acute), entire margins, base attenuate, glabrous on             both sides; topside Yellow Orange 21A; bottom side Yellow             Orange 20A.         -   Disc.—Flat becoming conic, becoming 30 mm deep and 39 mm             wide with maturity, Green 137A.         -   Disc florets.—About 400 in number, each with 1 pistil and 4             stamen, grow to 8 mm long and 1.5 mm wide, each with one             persistent, very stiff linear bract (12 mm long with the tip             Greyed Orange N170A to top 2 mm to Green 137B for 3 mm to             White NN155A on bottom); corolla 5 mm long and 1.5 mm wide,             tubular, 5 lobed, glabrous, Yellow Green 145C to lobe tips             Greyed Purple 187A; pistil 9 mm long, ovary 2 mm long, White             NN155D, style 4.5 mm long Yellow Green 145D, 2-branched             stigma spreading 3 mm wide, Greyed Purple 187A; stamen 5 mm             long, filaments 2 mm long and Yellow Green 145D, anthers 3             mm long and Grey Brown 199A, pollen Yellow Orange 23A.         -   Phyllaries.—In 4 leafy series, area grows to 35 mm wide and             10 mm deep, lobes lanceolate in shape, reflexed, grow to 11             mm long and 3.5 mm wide, Yellow Green 147A, margins             strigose, tip acute, strigose on both sides.         -   Receptacle.—Grows to 14 mm wide and 12 mm deep, White             NN155B.         -   Bloom period.—July through October in Canby, Oreg.         -   Fragrance.—Strong, sweet, floral.         -   Lastingness.—Each inflorescence lasts about two weeks in             Canby, Oreg. -   Seeds: 3 mm long and 2.5 mm wide, oval, Brown 200C.     -   -   Fertility.—Good. -   Disease and pests: Echinacea are susceptible to leaf miners, powdery     mildew, bacterial spots, and gray mold. None of these have been     observed on plants grown under commercial conditions in Canby, Oreg.     No resistance is known. 

1. A new and distinct Echinacea plant as herein illustrated and described. 